*Review* Exhale by Jennifer Snyder + Giveaway

Inhaling in life is easy. It’s the exhaling—the letting go— that’s the hard part.

Katie Elliot has always known the Conner twins. For years she secretly pined after one, while playfully averting the advances of the other. Once upon a time, she was fine with that. Then came the moment when her twin of preference kissed her and changed everything.

Starting Jennifer Snyder's Exhale, I was every bit prepared to read a love story that was also twisted in tragic events. This may not be a long read but it was powerful and played with my heart a little. The writing tells the story in such a way that you are left in pieces with Katie and yet you will frustration that she just will not let her heart move on.

Due to its shorter length this one moves on at a steady pace and only really takes breathers when the plot or Katie really calls for it. However, this does not mean that Snyder didn't do a phenomenal job with her characters and knowing how they felt. So many times I felt Katie's excitement and her pain, the pace took none of that away, not even for a moment. I did at times wish that there was a little more build up or backing before the tragedy struck... Maybe a glimpse from one of the boys or Katie's best friend? This was not meant to be multiple points of view but in that single part of the book I felt like I need more, maybe even more of what happened. However, that one little bit is nothing compared to the emotion and detail poured into the rest of the read.

When it comes to contemporary, I think we are all just used to reading about someone that is broken. The thing with Katie is that she really doesn't start out that way. She is a normal teenager, that deals with normal teenage problems like how she can date one boy without upsetting some sort of balance. Her case is special though because of the fact that she loves one brother and not the other. Doesn't seem like a big issue right, except when they are identical twins and you love the one that hasn't been fighting for you to o out with him for years. I had expected me to find some sort of anger towards her for this but honestly like we all keep saying, it comes down to personality and I understood her choice. When everything goes down I understood her withdrawn behavior but that did not mean I liked it. Katie tortured herself and others but really who wouldn't have in her place.

Romance is obviously a key in this book but the problem is, I can't really discuss it with you and not give too much away. Both of the brothers Kyle and Derek have their advantages but one is more of a ladies man and the other more of the quiet more reserved type. Not that Derek is a turtle but he is not quite as outgoing and outspoken as Kyle. I loved that Kyle was willing to do anything for Katie and that Derek seemed to always be there. If you made these two people into one he would basically be everyone's perfect fantasy.

I feel the need to mention Katie's best friend Missy. I did not like this girl at all. Well, I loved that she was honest but she also seemed selfish and petty to me. Katie did not seem to mind and there were a couple of times that I wanted to scream at her to put Missy in her place and not behave like a two year old over things that she could not control. I understand that we love who we love and this includes best friends but with a friend like her at times you did not need an enemy.

Overall, I honestly really enjoyed Exhale. It is emotional and true but sweet enough that your heart goes out to the characters. Snyder excels at creating characters that you can see and feel real as you read them. I am extremely excited to pick up anything that this wonderful Indie pumps out and devour it. In fact I have Catalyst on my kindle and it will be putting it place in for the review rotation! I highly recommend that you pick this one up if you want a heart pulling and true contemporary, that you could without a doubt devour in one sitting.

There was a running joke among our mothers... a joke about which twin I would eventually end up with. At least, I had always thought of it as a joke, until we began growing up and things started to change. This was when I realized the true harshness of lifehow it can blindside you with the most difficult decisions and how sometimes, when it comes to those decisions, we don't really get a say...sometimes, Fate makes the choice for us.

I didn't respond at first. Instead, I raised my fingertips to touch my lips, saddened from the departure of his and curious to see if they felt any different, because I felt different, everything felt different. That kiss had changed everything that ever was between us, and I wondered if knew, if he understood what had just happened, what he'd just done.

There were moments over the course of the next three months when the cancer that ate away at my insides, named Guilt, had taken over my mind completely, leaving me in a dark and empty place.